Access to Baja food and wine

Just inland, in the Valle de Guadalupe are top-notch wineries, hotels and farm-to-table restaurants. And it's much closer than Napa, you can be there in a little more than two hours, just remember to bring your passport.

K.C. Alfred

6

Desert wildflowers

Not all our beauty is west of the 5.

Just a short drive away from the ocean you'll find miles and miles of desert, including the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. That's where San Diegans love to hike, camp and see the wildflowers that bloom each spring.

Courtesy photo

7

Niki de Saint Phalle

While our most famous piece of public art is the "Unconditional Surrender" (or as we call it, "The Kiss") statue, San Diego also boasts beautiful pieces by French sculptor Niki de Saint Phalle.

Street festivals

Yes, we have great weather, but that's hardly a secret. What isn't widely known is that the year-round sun means there's almost always a free street festival to crash.

From the Adams Avenue Street Festival (pictured) to Chula Vista's Lemon Festival, each celebration gives you a taste of our many different neighborhoods.

Courtesy photo

9

UC San Diego

While there are plenty of great colleges and universities here, UC San Diego is a standout for its amazing scientific research (brain cell breakthroughs, autism studies), world-class theater (La Jolla Playhouse) and forward-thinking art (Do Ho Suh's Fallen Star from the Stuart Collection, pictured).

It's also the home of Scripps Pier and Birch Aquarium.

Peggy Peattie

10

Hodad's

Guy Fieri may have told the world about this burger joint on "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives," which is why there's almost always a line at the Ocean Beach location.

But nothing feels more San Diego than this kooky spot, where license plates decorate the walls, the music's loud, customers tend to be barefoot and the beach is just a few blocks away.

Carolyne Corelis

11

Dog-friendly beaches and parks

From Del Mar to Coronado, you'll find a spot of ocean reserved just for your dog to run around, swim, play with other dogs and basically have the best day, ever.

San Diego Botanic Garden

It's nice to have places like the San Diego Zoo, Safari Park, SeaWorld San Diego and Legoland California.

But when locals feel like taking kids on an adventure without dealing with heavy crowds and high fees, many opt for this Encinitas garden. Along with having its own preschool area, there are trees to climb, water to splash and paths of lush greenery in which to get lost.

Bill Wechter

14

Over-the-Line

We've never won a Super Bowl. We've never won a World Series. But we did invent Over-the-Line.

This sport, which is like softball minus the running, was created while people were waiting for beach volleyball courts to open up in Mission Beach. While it's known for the wild summer tournament, locals play the sport year-round.

Peggy Peattie

15

Convoy district

Because San Diego has one of the fastest growing Asian populations, we have access to authentic foods from Korea, Vietnam, Japan, China and the Philippines.

A good number of these Asian restaurants are concentrated in Kearny Mesa's Convoy district. You can find everything from kimchi to banh mi at great prices (unless you're going for super fancy sushi, then be careful of a $70 lunch).

Charlie Neuman

16

Cardiff Kook

This North County statue is the best example of San Diego's humor.

The sculpture of a surfer riding waves is actually called "Magic Carpet Ride," and after it was installed in 2007, locals who didn't like it dressed it up in everything from Santa outfits to this creative dinosaur diorama.

Howard Lipin

Outro

There are far many more reasons locals consider San Diego "heaven on Earth."